637 Johnson St.
Victoria, BC
(250) 388-5450

E: The fire is spreading over at Sizzling Tandoor but the question of which operation James and I should hit, the original Johnson location or Uptown Shopping Centre (to which my buddy hates visiting) meant only the first operation should count. At least we’re finally managing to hit most of the restaurants that line along Johnson Street. Now the trick here is if I can convince my buddy to swallow another pepper whole?

J: I’ve been to the Sizzling Tandoor before after they opened. I knew the owners and they invited me to come in and try their wares. Unfortunately I was a wimp when it came to Indian cuisine. The result was barely touched food and a terrible shame I could not get rid of. But since that incident I have vowed to learn to eat and appreciate as much Indian cuisine as possible. There are foods I still can not touch but my progress is good. I have even built a tolerance to spicy food. It may surpass the great Edmundo.

E: I’ll be convinced when you can swallow a ghost pepper whole, James. But at least this (sort of) young Padawan is learning. I must say the calamari had a good kick to it. Most of the spice is contained in the batter, hence the red colour, and if we had lightsabers with us on this visit, I’d be fighting my apprentice for more than my lion’s share of that plate. The garlic and lamb naan, at least, we had our separate orders.

J: The force is strong in Ed especially when he has his fill of spicy food. With the Keema Naan ($5) you get a little lamb for the price. It may not look like much but lamb can be very powerful. The keema I ate had that nice balance.

E: I would’ve liked to have had more lamb with my bread, but then, what’s offered here is more like an appetizer type dish than a full-course. Maybe if we ordered two per, then they might have filled it up. Or maybe we could’ve ordered a full sandwich. There will be a part two to this review, where James and I will have a full meal here, but this visit was like a pit stop just because we both had dinners waiting for us at home. We met briefly to swap items and as always, I could always cajole him for a bite somewhere.

J: The service here was exceptional. I seem to recall there used to be a television that played Indian music but it has been removed to allow for more dining in the evening. Now if Ed and I can manage to find some dates, it would give us reason to return at such a late hour.

3½ Blokes out of 5